Parents have been told by the village council to forcefully implement the ban on fashionable clothes and mobiles. Wikimedia

A village in Rajasthan has banned all types of “fashion clothes” and use of mobile phone for women

The heads of the village, who have also banned the consumption and distribution of alcohol, believe these things to be a “cultural threat”

It is also a decision that is taken to “prevent sexual assaults”

July 16, 2017: The administrators of Baldiyapura, a village in Rajasthan, took the decision to ban ‘fashion clothes’ to be worn by the women such as jeans and tops to prevent sexual assaults.

Parents were directed by the village council to supervise that their daughters do not use mobile phones and wear western clothes. The council said that these things are ruining the local culture.

The council also threatened that these decisions are to be compulsorily implemented.

The distribution and consumption of alcohol are also banned by the council, violation of which will result in a penalty of Rs. 1000. Further, there is a reward for the informers who report the violators.

Kanasil Hariom Singh, the leader of the village council, called these things “social evils” and praised the decision of the Panchayat. He also linked the rise of sexual molestation and rape cases to the fact that women wear such clothes.

The village elders are to supervise younger one’s clothing and behaviour. The council also plans to meet on the first day of every month to see the progress after implementation.

The surrounding villages in Dholpur have raised protests, particularly the women’s groups. Dholpur’s official Vinod Kumar Meena criticised the restrictions on women but praised the ban on alcohol.

Many Indians try and correlate women’s clothing to their molestation chances. At This time when women safety is the biggest social issue domestically, such policies are an insult to the efforts of awareness by activists and feminists.